Nev Schulman Net Worth

What is Nev Schulman's Net Worth?

Nev Schulman is an American television host, producer, filmmaker, photographer, author, and real estate salesperson who has a net worth of $2 million. Nev Schulman is best known for starring in the 2010 documentary "Catfish" and then turning that experience into the long-running MTV series "Catfish: The TV Show." The show made Schulman one of the most recognizable faces in reality television and helped popularize the term "catfish" as shorthand for someone who uses a fake online identity to deceive another person. As host and executive producer, Schulman spent more than a decade investigating online relationships, emotional deception, romance scams, and digital identity. He later competed on "Dancing with the Stars," published the book "In Real Life: Love, Lies & Identity in the Digital Age," and moved into New York real estate after "Catfish" ended its run at MTV.

Early Life

Yaniv "Nev" Schulman was born on September 26, 1984, in New York City. His older brother, Ariel Schulman, became a filmmaker and actor. Nev originally focused on dance and photography, and he began taking photos seriously while he was in high school. He also worked part-time as a videographer for local bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs.

Schulman attended Sarah Lawrence College, where he studied photography and dance from 2004 to 2006. He was expelled after an incident in which he punched another student. Schulman later said he mistook the student, who was female, for a male.

Photography and Early Career

Before becoming a television personality, Schulman worked as a photographer and filmmaker. After high school, he and his brother Ariel launched a production company. Nev also became involved with the contemporary ballet world in New York and began photographing dancers in the mid-2000s.

His photography appeared in outlets including Vogue, The New York Times, Dance Magazine, the New York Sun, and other publications. That background shaped his later television career, where he often functioned not just as an on-camera host, but also as a visual storyteller and producer.

Noam Galai/Getty Images

"Catfish"

Schulman's breakthrough came with the 2010 documentary "Catfish," directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost. The film followed Nev as he developed an online relationship with a young woman and eventually discovered that key parts of the relationship were not what they appeared to be.

"Catfish" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and became one of the most talked-about documentaries of the year. Viewers debated the film's authenticity, but its cultural impact was undeniable. It arrived at a moment when social media was changing dating, friendship, and personal identity, and it gave a name to a kind of online deception that millions of people instantly understood.

"Catfish: The TV Show"

In 2012, Schulman became the host and executive producer of "Catfish: The TV Show" on MTV. The series followed people who had developed intense online relationships but had never met their partners in person. Schulman and his co-hosts would investigate the digital trail, arrange meetings, and help participants confront the truth.

For the show's first seven seasons, Schulman's main co-host was filmmaker Max Joseph. Their partnership was central to the show's early identity. Schulman brought empathy and optimism, while Joseph often played the skeptical, dry-witted observer. After Joseph left the series in 2018, Kamie Crawford eventually became Schulman's full-time co-host.

"Catfish" became one of MTV's signature unscripted franchises. It mixed mystery, romance, heartbreak, internet culture, and emotional confrontation in a format that was inexpensive, flexible, and extremely repeatable. Schulman's role as both host and executive producer made the series the centerpiece of his career.

Production was briefly suspended in 2018 after a former participant made allegations of sexual misconduct against Schulman. MTV later said the claims were found to be not credible, and production resumed.

MTV canceled "Catfish: The TV Show" in 2025 after nine seasons. The cancellation came after more than a decade on the air, though producers were reportedly allowed to shop the series to other outlets.

(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Other Projects

Schulman published "In Real Life: Love, Lies & Identity in the Digital Age" in 2014. The book expanded on many of the themes that made "Catfish" successful, including online honesty, identity, trust, and the emotional consequences of living through screens.

In 2018, Schulman appeared as himself in the Tyler Perry comedy "Nobody's Fool." In 2020, he competed on Season 29 of "Dancing with the Stars" with professional partner Jenna Johnson. Schulman made it to the finale and finished in second place behind Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem Chigvintsev.

In 2025, Schulman began a new professional chapter as a licensed real estate salesperson with Coldwell Banker Warburg in New York City. The move connected him back to his hometown and to his family, as his father had a long career in New York real estate.

Personal Life

Schulman met Laura Perlongo on Instagram. The couple got engaged in 2016 and welcomed their first child, Cleo James, that same year. They married in 2017 and later had two more children, Beau Bobby Bruce and Cy Monroe.

Schulman has also been involved in charitable work. He was a founding member and contributor to Leave Out Violence, a youth-focused anti-violence organization, and has supported causes connected to community building, health, and athletics.

Nev Schulman's career is closely tied to the internet age. He became famous because of an online deception, then spent years helping other people untangle similar stories on television. Whether as a filmmaker, host, author, or real estate salesperson, his public identity has always centered on connection, trust, and the complicated ways people present themselves to the world.

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